I am a Kirkland Girl. I feel very at home at Lakeview since I attended Lakeview as a child followed by Kirkland Jr. High and Lake Washington High ~ home of the KANGAROOS. I was even born in the Kirkland Hospital that is now the Heathman Hotel! To top it all off, my husband and I are lucky enough to be raising our family in the house I grew up in, right here in the Houghton area!

After growing up in the safety and comforts of Kirkland, I attended Western Washington University where I received degrees in both Special Education and Parks and Recreation. After working for Children's Hospital in Seattle for two years in the Therapeutic Recreation Department, I realized that my heart was really in the classroom.

My teaching career started way back in the dark ages when we still used a "ditto" machine and chalk boards! I have taught in the LWSD at Fairfax Hospital, A.G. Bell, Ben Franklin and Lakeview. I started as a Special Education teacher, then moved to Kindergarten followed by third grade and now fourth grade. Karla Coghlan and I have been job sharing for 11 years and I am the Math Teacher Leader for Lakeview. I LOVE working with children. They are full of energy, curiosity and enthusiasm. As an educator, I strive to create a warm. welcoming and safe environment for children to be challenged academically while also supporting them in their social and emotional growth. One of my greatest joys is watching students make connections and get excited about what they are learning. I believe children are capable of succeeding in all areas of life and truly enjoy supporting them through the peaks and valleys of that process.

I have been married to my fabulous husband, Terry, for 26 years. You can often catch us kayaking out in Lake Washington. We have three wonderful daughters ~ Dyanna- attending UW, and twins, Jillian and Shannon- both attending Western Washington University. You might see us on one of our walks around Kirkland. In the past, we have housed Jeremy Boyer, one of the Seattle Thunderbird hockey players and have learned a lot about the sport of hockey. When I am not teaching in the classroom or tutoring in my home, I like to play tennis, kayak, cook, read, knit, crochet, camp and enjoying our great state of Washington and all its beauty.